


Five fine fabrics (and five executions, too)

by elektra121



Category: Robin of Sherwood
Genre: Drabble Collection, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-15
Updated: 2013-07-15
Packaged: 2017-12-20 07:02:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 1,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/884343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elektra121/pseuds/elektra121
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The life of the Sheriff of Nottingham, told in five fine fabrics: 1. red scarlet, 2. white linen, 3. blue silk, 4. purple samite, 5. green broadcloth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Red scarlet

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Fünf feine Stoffe (und fünf Hinrichtungen)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/865450) by [elektra121](https://archiveofourown.org/users/elektra121/pseuds/elektra121). 



> Many thanks to the wonderful _Astrinde_ , who not only inspired this, but helped with the translation. :)

_"Scarlet" in medieval times was a popular woolen fabric, often dyed in bright ("scarlet") red. Because of a special weaving technique, scarlet was elastic, which only few fabrics accomplished at those times. In fairy tales, scarlet symbolizes great joy._

 

 

**Red Scarlet**

The first time he had seen a man hanged, he was a boy of just eleven. His father had taken him to Hundred Court, for the first time, and he had worn a new coat of fine red scarlet, with embroidery around the neck, that made him feel  _ grown-up _ , almost a man. He had been so very proud when his father had put both his hands on his shoulders and introduced him to his friends:  “ This is my eldest son, Robert. ” The whole day he held himself straight and spoke earnestly, and did not quiver and did not flinch and did not avert his eyes when it happened. 

In the evening he had been sick, worse than ever in his life, before or after, but of course  _ that _ had had nothing to do with it. 

 


	2. White linen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Because of the time-consuming processing of the flax fibres, linen in medieval times was more expensive than woolen cloth. Really white linen could only be won through a long bleaching process. For this purpose the fabric was laid out on meadows and bedewed with water again and again (sometimes sour milk or pattassium were added) - the sun then blanched it. Depending on the degree of whiteness that was desired, such blanching could take weeks._

** White linen **

If there was one execution that would linger in his memory forever  – one, out of all the executions he had seen in the past, and would still see in the future  – it was the one in Caen, when he did not yet have twenty years of age.

Strangely, he was not able to recall why the delinquent stood accused, but it must have been a fatal error, a terrible mistake, for surely everyone must have  _ seen _ that this man was innocent. He had been roughly the same age as Robert, his fair hair shining around his face like the halo of a saint. They had stripped him of his clothes, and so he stood on the scaffold clad only in a shirt of white linen, barefoot and beautiful like an angel.

When the hangman placed the noose around his neck, the eyes of the condemned locked with Robert ’ s. And this glance seared through him like a scorching fire and suddenly made him wish  _ strange things _ , never known before: to put his arm around this man, to save him, to become his friend. To kiss his brow and promise to him that he need never again fear anything in this life. 

Which became, all too soon, all too true. 


	3. Blue silk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Silk is made from the cocoons of silk worms and originates in China, from where it was dealt over the Silk Road. In the early middle ages, Europe succeeded in the production of silk, too - the center of European silk production and trade being Italy._
> 
> _Natural Ultramarine is a pigment won out of pulverised Lapislazuli (a precious stone from Afghanistan) that makes a very bright and deep dark blue. The colour was so costly, that in the middle ages the mantle of the Virgin Mary always was portrayed with Ultramarine._

** Blue silk **

Robert de Rainault remembered the surcoat of Italian silk exactly. It had been blue, a blue of such beautiful hue he never had seen before in reality, only in pictures, and which had become his favourite of all colours. The costliest and best he could afford at this time, and (as he was proudly aware) the envy of many men. 

He cursed the ill fortune that had seduced him to wear the pretty clothing, this day of all days. Moreover, he cursed the incompetent executioner, who had failed to tie down the hand of the delinquent firmly enough. But mostly, he cursed that despicable scamp who hadn ’ t had the guts to bear his punishment like a man, but instead screamed in such a way as to make one ’ s hair stand on end. The maimed man had swung around, shaking his gory stub, before anyone could stop him and, to De Rainault ’ s great horror, spattered the beautiful surcoat with blood. 

Neither soap nor salt could make the ugly stains go away; if anything, it made them emerge more vividly. The dressmaker sadly shook his head when he explained there was no salvation for the garment, and it could only be cut to patches. 

On this day, Robert de Rainault swore to himself that  he would never punish  any crime with the severing of a hand. And, if he thought about it, what exactly was the point of a punishment which made the convicted a useless wastrel for the rest of his miserable life?

Better a nice, _clean_ hanging instead. 


	4. Purple samite

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Samite is a heavy six-thread fabric, often showing a large repeating figurative pattern. Originally, it was produced in Egypt, Byzantium and Syria, since the 12th century also in Andalusia, and later, in Italy, too._
> 
> _Tyrian purple is a pigment that makes a deep reddish purple. In ancient and medieval times it was won out of sea snails from the Mediterranean Sea. Since Tyrian purple was (and is even today! 1g = more than 2000£ or 3000$) the most expensive colour, for a long time only senators, the emperor and the pope were allowed to wear it._

 

** Purple samite **

The mantle he wore on his first day as Sheriff had cost  _ twelve _ acres of land, and in fact, good farmland. The fabric was a Saracen samite, dyed in deep purple, with a pattern of roaring lions, and a border of Byzantine brocade, embroidered with gold. Not until the heavy raiment covered his shoulders did he really feel the power and dignity of a High Sheriff passing into him. Only now he was the  _ Sheriff of Nottingham _ . 

His first sentence had been certain long before he was even suggested as a candidate, because naturally a new Sheriff would be judged by his judgement, and really, how better to demonstrate justice and rigour than with a sentence of death? Moreover, it saved the painful trouble of weighing the severity of the crime, against the authenticity of the accusation and the amount of bribe money from each side. All of that would come, later. But on this first day, everything was fine and easy and dignified and elegant. Or, it  _ should  _ have been.

At first, he was not at all cross with the wife of the condemned, who had come to beg for mercy. An honourable effort, sure enough, that showed her sense of wifely duty, and certainly such behaviour would be an advantage to her in getting a new husband afterwards. Furthermore, the strength and determination of the new Sheriff would shine all the more, if he could not be dissuaded. But there were limits of good taste, and surely they did _ not _ include wailing for longer than three Lord ’ s Prayers or dragging one's annoying brats along. Or whining and toadying on one's knees. 

He hadn ’ t reacted quickly enough to pull the mantle away, because he didn ’ t expect that  anyone could be _detestable_ enough to defile that beautiful brocade border with kisses from dirty lips. 

When he came to his senses, he kicked the woman away and, in a cool voice, ordered for her to be _removed_.  His preference would have been to  hang them all, but a new Sheriff had to keep calm in unpleasant situations. Unfortunately it had spoilt the nice day  – and the costly border  – for good.  

He had the tailor replace the border with a new one, so as not to be reminded of it. 


	5. Green broadcloth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Broadcloth is a milled woolen cloth of a dense, warm, water-repellant and hard-wearing quality - which makes it very suitable for outdoor activities. In the folklore ballads of Robin Hood the Merry Men wear such a fabric dyed in Lincoln green, a warm dark olive. In order to reach the dark tone, Lincoln green is dyed in two steps: first a dye of yellow, then a blue cross-dying._
> 
> _Green is the colour of living, growing plants. Therefore it symbolizes hope and life, and as a liturgic colour green stands for resurrection._

 

** Green broadcloth **

Among the rich clothing of the Sheriff of Nottingham's well-provided wardrobe, strangely, there were only a few garments of green. Not that it would have been a colour unworthy or unbecoming to the Sheriff. No, from the point of fashion there was nothing to be said against an elegant dark green. But the Sheriff of Nottingham preferred not to encounter green cloth, any more than absolutely necessary.

Not in the daytime, too. Because at night, oh, at night in his dreams he saw it, far more often than he liked. 

The best turn such dreams took were when got to witness that god-damned scoundrel clad in green cloth dangling from the rope. Which was rare, for usually, the dream Robin Hood escaped the hangman at the very last moment, showing his shiny teeth and laughing at the Sheriff, daring him  – much like his real-life counterpart. Frustrating, really.  

Worse still  – and more common  – was the dream in which the Sheriff found  _ himself _ standing on the gallows, the noose already around his neck. And then he looked down and discovered, to his great horror, that he was clad in Lincoln green broadcloth from head to toe. On his rightful seat before the gallows sat a faceless other Sheriff, who just then gave the hangman the order. And then the noose choked his neck, and he twisted and squirmed and fought for air, until he felt the despair of death rising up in him and … he finally woke from the nightmare, gasping and dripping with sweat.

But strangest, and most disturbing, was the completely unforeseen turn the dream took only once: the gallow burst into verdant being. Many delicate young sprigs sprang from the grey, dead wood, and grew before his eyes into a deep forest, rebellious and lush and  _ green _ , that hid him from the hangman on the scaffold and the Sheriff upon the stand. The rope around his neck withered and fell from him. The little leaves-so-green whispered to him that he should be  _ merry _ , and the branches of the greenwood softly wrapped around him, comforting like the arms of a lover.  

_Thus endyth my talkynge of the scheriffe of Notingham. Thank you very much for reading! What about a comment? Which fabric and colour is your favourite? ;)_

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Ad Valorem](https://archiveofourown.org/works/977385) by [Astrinde](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Astrinde/pseuds/Astrinde)




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